Ben Shelton leant forward in his chair and pulled a towel over his face. By then, though, it was already too late. Tears had begun to gather in his eyes and time was up.
‘Stop,’ came the message from his father and coach, Bryan Shelton. Cue more waterworks and a heartbreaking end for the No 6 seed. Less than an hour earlier, Shelton led Adrian Mannarino by two sets to one. He was five games away from the last 16 of the US Open.
But then something changed. Shelton isn’t sure exactly what happened or why. But at the start of the fourth set, pain began to plague his left shoulder. It changed the course of this match and lit the fuse on his hopes of winning a first Grand Slam, too.
‘The worst pain I ever felt in my life,’ Shelton could be heard telling his father. Still, he soldiered on, his hammer forehand often replaced by a slice to reduce the agony. He saved five set points, too.
In the end, though, Shelton was powerless to prevent Mannarino leveling the match and that signaled the end. He packed his bags and wiped his eyes and more American misery soon followed.
Less than an hour later, Frances Tiafoe was beaten in straight sets by German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff. The world No 144 has now taken out Tiafoe (No 17 seed) and Holger Rune (No 11 seed) in consecutive rounds in New York.
Ben Shelton was forced to retire from his US Open third-round match due to a shoulder injury
The American star was overcome with emotion as he waved goodbye to the crowd in New York
Shelton led by two sets to one against Adrian Mannarino when he suffered the injury
America has waited 22 years for an American man to win the US Open singles. Now, it’s only Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul still standing.
The enduring image of Friday’s play will be Shelton – a towel draped over his head – waving a tearful goodbye to Louis Armstrong Stadium and a crowd that adores this American star.
For Shelton, this third-round exit is a crushing blow. For the US Open, too. The No 6 seed – the most electrifying homegrown player in either draw – was on course for a quarterfinal showdown with Carlos Alcaraz. Instead he is headed to the treatment table.
‘Of course, when he started to have pain, he was leading in the match and he would, honestly, have probably won that match,’ Mannarino admitted afterwards.
‘So, yeah, that’s unfortunate for him and very lucky for me… I’m happy to get through and I wish him the best.’
This match was brilliantly poised for so long. Shelton led 6-3 3-6 5-4 when he brought up a second set point. Before long, Louis Armstrong was on its feet.
After 14 shots of a pulsating rally, Mannarino let rip with a forehand that had Shelton scrambling to his left.
Somehow the American dug it out. The ball looped into the air and landed on the line. Mannarino netted his backhand and this stadium exploded. It was as if he’d won the match.
Shelton embraces Mannarino after deciding to retire from their US Open third-round match
The American was given a standing ovation as he left Louis Armstrong Stadium on Friday
Alas, just a few minutes later, disaster struck. Shelton struck a forehand and immediately winced in pain. He then put his right hand to his left shoulder.
The American asked for medical attention and the match was halted at 30-15 in the second game of set four. Two trainers came on to tend to Shelton but he never recovered.
Strangely, his huge serve was unaffected – Shelton still sent down bombs measuring close to 140mph. But time and again, he struggled with his forehand and felt for his shoulder. Eventually his dad had seen enough. It ended 6-3 3-6 6-4 4-6.
Mannarino was off court enjoying a comfort break when Shelton made the decision to retire. The Frenchman returned to a handshake and a hug from his tearful opponent.
‘I’m 37 years old, and it’s the first time I’m winning a match from the toilets!’ Mannarino said.